I find a bottle of water and a packet of gum and thank whoever left them here.
The water helps me rinse the taste of vomit from my mouth, while the gum eases some of the nausea that still sits at the back of my throat.
I pull back onto the road, and by the time the satnav announces that I’ve arrived at my destination, I almost feel human again.
I look around. I’m in town.
The building in front of me looks like a club. A few men stand outside smoking, there’s nothing out of the ordinary about the place.
I climb out of the car, shut the door behind me, and make my way towards the group.
I know enough to realise that an illegal fight won’t take place in an actual nightclub, and certainly won’t be hidden behind a door anyone can walk through.
“Good evening,” I say to the men.
I feel my shyness threaten to surface, but I shove it back down.
I need to look strong. Like I know exactly what I’m doing.
Even though I’m shattered, anxious…broken.
I know my eyes are puffy from crying, but I keep my spine straight and my head held high.
The men study me with a mixture of caution and curiosity. Not unfriendly, exactly. More puzzled than anything else.
“What do you need?” one of them asks.
I waste no time.
“The Pit. Can you point me towards the entrance?”
They look surprised for a brief moment.
One of them whistles low as his eyes travel slowly over me.
I know exactly what he sees.
A girl who looks completely out of place here.
The dress, the makeup, the sparkly nails. Everything about me screams shy, sheltered, andfeminine.
I am about as girly as they come.
A flirtatious smile appears on his face.
“And what would a lady like you want with a place like that?” he asks amused. “Trust me, sweetheart, it’s not exactly the sort of place you’d enjoy. The men down there are animals.”
“Do you or do you not know where the entrance is?” I ask with more confidence than I actually feel.
The larger of the two studies me through narrowed eyes before finally giving a curt nod and pointing towards a narrow set of stairs tucked away at the side of the building.
I hadn’t even noticed them.
I glance back at him.
“Thank you.”
He gives a single nod in return.
